Robert Kocharyan Announces Return to Politics, Plans to Run in 2026 Parliamentary Elections

Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has announced his plan to take part in the 2026 parliamentary elections, signaling his return to the political stage after several years of relative quiet. Kocharyan, who led Armenia from 1998 to 2008, made the announcement during a press conference on October 6, where he outlined his intentions to begin preparing for the elections early next year.

He said that his team will start planning the format of his participation in January–February 2026, mentioning that his political structure is being reactivated for the campaign.

During the press conference, Kocharyan strongly criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government, particularly its handling of talks with Azerbaijan and the recent peace agreement. He accused the authorities of failing to address poverty and corruption and argued that Armenia’s steps toward European integration are only a “show” rather than a genuine process.

Kocharyan’s rivalry with Pashinyan is longstanding and rooted in Armenia’s modern political history. In the 2021 parliamentary elections, Kocharyan ran as the leader of the Armenia Alliance bloc, positioning himself as Pashinyan’s main challenger. Although Civil Contract won by a large margin, Kocharyan’s alliance secured second place in the National Assembly. He later declined to take up his parliamentary seat, focusing instead on broader political goals.

The tensions between the two leaders date back to the events surrounding the 2008 presidential elections. At that time, Pashinyan, then a prominent opposition activist with the Armenian National Congress, organized mass demonstrations disputing the election results. The protests ended violently, leaving ten people dead in clashes with law enforcement.

When Pashinyan came to power a decade later, his government reopened investigations into the 2008 events. Kocharyan was charged with attempting to “overthrow the constitutional order,” but Armenia’s Constitutional Court later ruled the charges unconstitutional and dropped the case.

Kocharyan’s latest announcement suggests he remains determined to challenge the current leadership and offer what he presents as a different path for Armenia’s future. His return to active politics comes at a time of growing public debate over the government’s policies, regional security, and national sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Armenia’s third president and Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) chairman, Serzh Sargsyan, was asked on Tuesday about his party’s plans for the 2026 elections.

Sargsyan said, “We will announce in due time whether the Republican Party of Armenia will participate in the elections or not.” He added that he does not want to make premature conclusions and mentioned that he had not followed Kocharyan’s press conference earlier that day. “Based on that, I cannot express any opinion,” the former president stated.

Just a day before Kocharyan’s announcement, former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan also declared his intention to run in the 2026 parliamentary elections, signaling the early start of a potentially competitive race involving several of Armenia’s former top officials.

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